Chapter 145: Sudden Rain (Part 15)

Upon this command, Hanyue nodded without a moment's hesitation and prepared to select men for the task. Meanwhile, Zhong Tiebi and Chen Fengpo, who had already resolved to pledge their allegiance, were startled.

Chen Fengpo was the first to leap up, waving his hands frantically. "Lord Le, you must not!"

Xu Le turned to Chen Fengpo with a gentle smile and asked, "And why not?"

The retainers guarding Xu Le cast hostile glances toward Chen Fengpo, their hands gradually resting upon the hilts of their sabers. This same Chen Da had guided the Mayi Elite Cavalry to destroy the Xujialu settlement; if he uttered a single inappropriate word now, they would gladly sever his head for their young master.

It had to be said that after enduring several bloody skirmishes, the retainers of Xujialu were becoming increasingly fierce. They already possessed the demeanor of an elite unit forged in troubled times. Borderland men, once tempered in the crucible of battle and fortunate enough to survive, were natural timber for elite soldiers!

How could Chen Fengpo not know that his reputation within Xu Le’s circle was truly wretched? Yet it was he who had guided the Mayi Elite Cavalry, and now that the entire contingent had been wiped out, how could Wang Rengong let him go? If he were to suggest moving his entire household to Hedong now, he feared these god-of-war-like Xujialu retainers would hunt him down and finish him off. Furthermore, having had his life saved by Xu Le and feeling deeply grateful, he had no choice now but to pledge his utter loyalty, preparing to follow Xu Le to prosper in Shenwu City.

Since he had decided to pledge his allegiance, his fate was inextricably bound with Xu Le's—sharing honor and disgrace alike. Yet, having just adopted the posture of a loyal subordinate, he was already opposing Xu Le's decision. Chen Fengpo could not help breaking out in a cold sweat, which, upon being struck by the falling rain, turned into rising wisps of white steam.

"Although Lord Le is fierce and brave, and your subordinates are all elite, turning the tables to annihilate a battalion of Mayi Elite Cavalry, Prefect Wang still commands tens of thousands of troops. His power is immense and difficult to contend with!" Chen Fengpo said, hardening his scalp. "Shenwu is no place for a prolonged stay. It would be better to gather as much of Shenwu's provisions and grain as possible, recruit the brave youths of Shenwu who are willing to follow the army, and head north early to rendezvous with Commandant Liu."

As Chen Fengpo finished with a braced posture, Zhong Tiebi took up the thread of the conversation.

The leader of the chivalrous youths of Shenwu was much more open-air and straightforward than Chen Fengpo. He spoke his mind without reservation: "Within two or three days, if Commandant Liu's grand army does not arrive, Lord Le must leave! We cannot win a direct fight, and being trapped in Shenwu is simply waiting for death. At a time like this, every extra day we can stall is an achievement. Why provoke Prefect Wang right now? Instead, we should quickly seal off the news, isolate the inside from the outside, and prevent the fall of Shenwu from reaching Prefect Wang's ears. To deceive him for even a single day is better than nothing!"

Han Xiaoliu was the first to jump up, rolling up his sleeves and shouting, "Afraid of them, my foot! What of the Mayi Elite Cavalry? They shatter at a single charge! If Wang Rengong dares to come, we'll kill a thousand for every thousand that arrive, and ten thousand for every ten thousand! We'll bind this fellow surnamed Wang and make him kowtow before Grandfather's grave!"

Having fled from Xujialu and plunged headlong into bloody slaughter, the most high-spirited of them all was this thin and slight Han Xiaoliu. The armor of the Mayi Elite Cavalry hung loosely upon his frame, requiring him to hitch up his breastplate whenever he swung his arms. This boastful declaration failed to stir the blood of many, instead prompting several retainers to snicker aloud.

Han Yue raised a hand and cuffed his brother on the head. "Go keep mother company! Walking so far in this downpour has been too much for her frail frame. Go bring her a bowl of hot soup first!"

Han Xiaoliu stiffened his neck in defiance. "Don't hit my head! At the city gates, I shot down several men myself, and not a single one escaped. I am now a great general under Lord Le's command!"

Han Yue gave him another blow to the head. "Shall I call mother out here?"

This threat struck straight at Han Xiaoliu's weakness. Crestfallen, he dropped his head, muttered under his breath, and turned on his heel to leave—perhaps to go weep his grievances to Mother Han. With every step he took, he had to haul up his breastplate, provoking wave after wave of uproarious laughter from the retainers.

Xu Le watched with a smile as Han Yue disciplined his younger brother. Once Han Xiaoliu had trudged out of earshot, Xu Le's smile gradually faded as he turned back to Chen Fengpo and Zhong Tiebi.

"Have you both decided to pledge your allegiance to me?"

Chen Fengpo and Zhong Tiebi exchanged a glance, then bowed deeply once more. "We pay homage to our lord!"

Xu Le waved a hand. "No need for such formal courtesies... And when did I become anyone's lord?"

Amidst the driving rain, Xu Le's sword-like eyebrows were as dark as lacquer, appearing sharp enough to pierce straight through one's heart.

"I, too, am a native of Shenwu's soil. My grandfather cleared the land to establish Xujialu, fulfilling every grain tax and corvée without ever falling short by a single cash. Yet, with a single command from the prefect, Xujialu was utterly ruined and burned to a charred wasteland."

Xu Le swept his gaze across Chen Fengpo and Zhong Tiebi. "And what of you two? One labored for twenty years, finally managing to become a squad leader in the Mayi Yingyang garrison, stationed right here in Shenwu. The other risked his life trading in the northern borderlands, gambling with countless lives just to establish some family property and earn the title of a prominent chivalrous figure in Shenwu. Yet, with a single word of command from the prefect unleashing the Mayi Elite Cavalry, you, too, were nearly reduced to ruin and devastation!"

Chen Fengpo and Zhong Tiebi remained silent, lowering their heads.

Xu Le abruptly raised his hand and pointed toward the north. "Commandant Liu is a grand hero of Mayi who faced a myriad of deaths campaigning in Goguryeo, only to finally attain official rank. Yet, in the eyes of Prefect Wang, what is he? Threatened, oppressed, humiliated, and hunted down because they wished to eradicate him. Those of humble origins, like Commandant Liu, are treated as mere grass and ants in the eyes of men like Prefect Wang. I rose from the rural expanse of Shenwu, young and hitherto unknown—how could I possibly bear the title of 'lord'?"

Even the commoners who had hauled the provisions listened with rapt attention to Xu Le's words. In this era, the world belonged exclusively to the great aristocratic clans. One's birth was an insurmountable chasm that dictated destiny; no matter how fiercely those of humble origins struggled and fought, they could never attain a status comparable to the scions of the elite families—let alone the common folk, whom the aristocratic progeny trampled upon at will while complaining that it soiled their shoes!

At this moment, Xu Le's handsome yet youthful face wore an indescribable, chilling sternness.

"I am naturally no lord; I am merely everyone's leader. We share humble origins and huddle together to defy this era! We are not people to be bullied at will. I am no blade of grass or ant, and just like those aristocratic scions, we are human beings too! I refuse to believe they can ride roughshod over our heads for a lifetime. Even if their power is boundless and they hold sway over this era, should they press us to the wall, we will bite chunks of flesh right out of them!"

Grandfather, your entire life was ruined by the great clans. In the end, you passed away alone upon Tingbing Mountain. I know you never wished for me to walk this path, but in the end, I have failed your expectations. I will never again allow these aristocratic scions to oppress me. Furthermore, I will make every single person who drove you step-by-step toward your final end pay the ultimate price!

Starting with Wang Rengong!

Dark clouds hung low, yet Xu Le's figure remained upright and peerless. It was as if the entire heavens collapsing downward could not cause him to bow even slightly!

The rain fell fiercely upon Shenwu, but the winds of a new era were rising everywhere!

Xu Le made a fierce sweeping gesture with his hand. "A-Yue, carry out my command! I intend to let Wang Rengong know, sooner rather than later, that if he strikes me once, I shall return it tenfold!"